Watch Out for Black Friday Phishing

It's the most wonderful time of the year—holiday shopping and sales have begun. Unfortunately, cybercriminals know this and may be looking for opportunities to steal your money or personal information. Last year, 30% of U.S. consumers reported receiving a phishing email or text around Black Friday, according to research from security firm Tessian.

How do cybercriminals use holiday shopping to steal people's information? In some cases, they set up fraudulent websites that look legitimate and promote them on social media. In other cases, scammers send promotional emails, promising discounted products, that contain phishing attempts or viruses. Scammers can even make emails look like they are coming from a legitimate brand. And since consumers expect to receive offers around this time of year, they are less likely to scrutinize the messages.

Here are a few questions to ask yourself when shopping online:

• What is the website's URL? Instead of .com, fake websites may have URLs ending with .club and .top.
• Does the deal seem too good to be true? Websites may offer merchandise at significantly discounted prices (for example, bicycles at 80% off).
• Where is the deal being advertised? Fake websites are often advertised on social media. If it's a real sale, it will also be advertised on the retailer's website.

Here are some tips from the FBI and our Information Security team to stay safe when you are shopping online:

• If you receive an email with links to sales or promotion codes, don't click on the links within the email. Sometimes, these links are from fraudulent websites and contain computer viruses. Instead, go directly to the store's website by typing the URL into your browser, and look for the offer there.
• Legitimate deals will be shown on the retailer's website and are not exclusive to the consumer. If you want to use a promotion code, type it directly when you are checking out.
• Check out the business's reviews and ratings on the Better Business Bureau’s website.
• Be wary of online retailers offering goods at significantly discounted prices.
• Be wary of online retailers who use a free email service instead of a company email address.
• Don’t judge a company by their website; flashy websites can be set up and taken down quickly.
• Don't use your work computer for online shopping. That way, if you do accidentally click a malicious link, our patients' information will not be compromised.

Be vigilant! Visit the TSG hub for more information about phishing and how to spot a suspicious email.